Electric lamp



Sept. 10, 1935. B, s. ROOD ET AL ELECTRC LAMP Filed OCb. 2, 1934 alg.

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC LAMP Benjamin S. Rood and George B. Honeywell, Laketon, Pa.

Application October 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,560

1 Claim.

The invention relates to an electric lamp and more especially to portable electric lamps having variable resistance for the control of illumination thereof.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a lamp of this character wherein, through the use of a resistance device, the intensity of illumination of the lamp can be changed and this being effected by the turning of a section of the post or standard of the lamp, thereby eliminating the use of hand actuated` buttons, snap switches or the like and thus enabling the lamp to give forth any desired candle power within a determined range.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a lamp of this character, wherein the construction thereof is novel in form and the electrical parts are concealed from view, and such lamp being devoid of projecting turn buttons, snap switches or other hand controls 'for the turning on and turning oil of the light, While the intensity of illumination may be conveniently regulated to give forth any desired candle power.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lamp of this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in its operation, neat and attractive in appearance, readily portable, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a lamp constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view partly broken away and showing diagrammatically the variable resistance layout for the electric current.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan, View looking toward the base, with the outer shell of the post or standard removed.

Figure 5 is a bottom end view of the standard or post detached from the lamp.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the lamp comprises a circular base I0 having a decorative exposed surface, although variation therein may be resorted to, and such base is preferably made from wood having rising centrally therefrom the 5 outer shell I l of a post, column or standard which, at its upper end, is equipped with the usual electric bulb socket (not shown) and carries a shade holder I2 for a shade I3. Y

The post, column or standard includes a metal 10 tube I4 which is of the required length and has attached to its upper end the coupling I5 for the bulb socket, and rotatable upon this tube I4 is the shell Il, this being preferably made from wood and fitted with a metallic sleeve I6 embracing the tube I4, the sleeve being made secure within the shell II. The tube I4 carries at its lower end an attaching plate I1 which is insulated, at I8, from the base I0 and made secure to the latter, the tube I4 being preferably attached to the plate I1 through the coupling I9, and this plate is located within a countersunk portion 20 in the bottom of the base I0.

The lamp socket (not shown) has leading to its center contact one wire 2| of an electric circuit connecting cord 22 and this wire 2I is trained through the countersunk portion 2D and upwardly through the tube I4, the wire being insulated, as usual, while the other wire 23 of the said cord is connected with a variable resistance coil 24 of ring formation which is confined and suitably insulated within the countersunk portion 20 of the base.

Encircling the tube I4 and carried by an insulating collar 25 is a multi-contact rheostat including a plurality of metallic contacts or blocks 26 spaced from each other and disposed in arc formation concentric with respect to the tube I4. These contacts 26 are insulated from each other by the insulating collar 25 and are respectively connected with the resistance coil 24 at regular intervals apart, the connection being had through the wires 21 with said contacts and resistance coil.

The metallic sleeve IB is insulated from the multi-contact by an insulating ring 28 and at the lower end of this sleeve I6 is the metallic disk 29 having connection with the barrel 3U fitted within the shell II. This barrel 30 has therein a spring pressed wiper brush or switch element 3| for 50 engaging the contacts 26, so that by the turning of the shell II there will be set up a variable resistance to vary the intensity of the current and to correspondingly increase or diminish the iniensity of the illumination of the electric bulb,

the electric current being supplied tc the bulb by the wire 2| and wire 23, the latter being connected with the resistance coil and the circuit therethrough closed by the brush 3| as the current is completed through the sleeve I6 and the central contact of the bulb socket (not shown), the brush 3| or switch element being engageable with the contacts 26 which are in electrical series with the resistance coil 24 and thus the illumination of the lamp may be regulated as to intensity. It is, of course, understood that certain of the contacts 26 are out of electrical connection with the resistance coil 24 and when the brush or element 3| engages therewith the light will be extinguished. The disk 29 has thereon stops 32 which limit the turning of the shell Il in the operation of regulating the intensity of the light or illumination of the lamp and to enable the said shell to be tuned to a limit of throw for the extinguishing of the lamp by the brush or element 3| engaging the dead contacts.

-electric connection with It should be obvious that the lamp is devoid of snap switches, turn buttons or the like and that the shell Il in its rotation controls the lighting, intensity of illumination and shutting oil of light from the lamp. 5

What is claimed is: A lamp of the character described comprising a, base, a post rising from the base and having a turnable section, a resistance coil fitted in the base, a multi-contact member carried by the post 10 and concealed by the turnable section and in the resistance coil, an illuminating medium carried by the post and arranged in circuit with the resistance coil, and a wiper switch included in said circuit and car* 15 ried by the turnable section for cooperation with the multi-contact member.

BENJAMIN S. ROOD. GEORGE B. HONEYWELL. 20 

